Herald - Issue 410

v THE NEXT HERALD IS OUT ON 26TH AUGUST v 5th August 2021 • The HERALD • Page 61 hytheandwaterside.com Sales: 023 8084 5434 • Lettings: 023 8084 5096 PRO-ACTIVE HONEST RELIABLE TRUSTED Bright. You know the future you want. We can help you reach for it. ‘We can make your money work for you’ Sales Lettings Holiday Accommodation v ON THE HOME FRONT v Everything on your Doorstep Detached 2 bedroom bungalow in the highly sought a er location of Dibden Purlieu. Ideally located within walking distance of Orchard and Noadswood schools this property will attract a lot of interest. Situated close to the New Forest National Park this property is convenient for local shops, cafés, schools, churches and medical centres, with Southampton City Centre easily accessible by road or alternatively via the passenger ferry service from nearby Hythe. e bungalow boasts ample living accommodation with a large living room and double glazed conservatory along with kitchen breakfast room, bath & shower room. Outside you will nd a patio and lawn area with a detached garage to the side of the property. Priced to sell at £440,000 this immacutately presented bungalow is a MUST SEE. Call Hythe & Waterside on: 023 8084 5434 or visit: www. hytheandwaterside.com TOP TIPS FROM NHBC FOR VISITING A SHOW HOME building, but north facing windows o er a more consistent quality of light. Don’t forget… • Peace of mind with warranty cover – Check whether the property is covered by NHBC’s ten-year Buildmark warranty. • Timescales – Find out when the home is likely to be completed and ready to move into. It is natural to want to move as quickly as possible, but your chosen plot could be a few months from completion, especially if you are buying o -plan. • Council tax banding – Find out which council tax band the home will be allocated to, and what the current yearly charge is for that band. e sale price of the home may not necessarily be an accurate guide. • Consumer Code for Home Builders – e code gives protection and rights to purchasers of new homes. Ask to see a copy of the code, and make sure that you are protected during each stage of the buying process. And nally, enjoy your show home visit and happy house hunting! For anyone thinking about buying a new build home, one of the rst steps will o en be visiting a show home. ere can be a lot to take in when looking around a show home for the rst time – even more so following the COVID-19 pandemic, where all housebuilders have built in a ra of new measures to allow people to visit safely. These include pre-screening questionnaires, social distancing and mandatory face coverings, so take time to do your research with the developer to see if there’s anything additional you may need to do before attending. Arriving on site… • Condition of the site – Check whether the site and the development as a whole seems tidy and well managed. Look out for NHBC Pride in the Job ags and signage – this will tell you that you’re visiting an award winning site of the highest standard. • e wider community – Take a look at the full site plan to see where open spaces, parkland and play areas for children are, as well as any new facilities on larger developments such as schools, GP surgeries and local shops. is will give you a sense of how the area will develop over coming years. • Safety – Many show homes will be located on or close to an active building site. Be sure to keep to designated areas and follow any health and safety instructions you are given. Inside the show home… • Personalisation – Ask which areas of the house you can personalise to your own taste. In most cases, depending on the build stage, you will be able to choose the kitchen and bathroom nishes and you may also be able to reposition radiators or add electrical sockets. • Furniture t – Take measurements of large items such as beds, sofas and dining room tables, and then measure up the space in the show home to check that your belongings will t if you are buying a similar sized home. It is also a good idea to see what storage is available for vacuum cleaners, ironing boards and other large items. • Energy e ciency – Ask to see a copy of the home’s Energy Performance Certi cate (EPC) as this will give you a good indication of how energy e cient the home is, and how much the utility bills are likely to cost. Ask if the home has been tted with any renewable technologies that may reduce bills even further. Also check which way the house faces – south facing windows can improve the energy e ciency of a home as the sun’s energy warms the walls and oors of a